Hot on the heels of celebrating its 25th anniversary, Travel Associates has been named Most Outstanding Branded Travel Agency Group at the National Travel Industry Awards 2024. We caught up with General Manager, Rachel Kingswell to hear her thoughts on the win.
Congratulations on the win… what does this award mean to Travel Associates?
It means the world and we’re incredibly proud to be recognised by the industry in this way. It’s been a big year of growth for our team and this award is recognition of the hard work and achievements of our business and the people in it.
Every person shows an unwavering commitment to our Travel Associates brand and clients and treats the business as if it’s their own.
To what do you attribute Travel Associates’ success?
Last year we celebrated 25 years of Travel Associates, so while we’ve been future-focused we’ve also spent time reflecting on our brand heritage and what has made us successful from day one.
We consistently reference this quote from our late Founder, Greg Ashmore, which I believe encapsulates everything TA stands for; “It is my genuine belief that if our potential customers knew exactly what we do for our clients, and could also do for them, they’d be lining up at the door of our business”.
This year has also been about reintroducing our brand to luxury travellers in Australia. We’ve been the best-kept secret in luxury travel for the past 26 years, but we’re determined to change that and are now on a path to make Travel Associates famous for our high-end service and luxury travel expertise.
Of course, none of this is possible without our incredible people, who are the reason why we are successful. There is no group like ours in Australia – we have 300 of the most experienced, knowledgeable and passionate travel advisors who are so invested in our brand and proud to be purple.
What are you most excited about that’s coming up for Travel Associates and the sector more broadly?
We’ve got so much in the works and can’t wait to share more over the next year! For now, prepare to see a lot of Travel Associates purple as we evolve our channels so our clients can access the one-of-a-kind services of a Travel Associates advisor with even more ease.
It’s so exciting to see the travel industry evolving year after year. It’s been a significant year of growth for cruising in particular with 27 per cent of cruisers being new to this style of holiday, so I think I’m most looking forward to seeing developments in the cruising sector after an already big year.
What does the future look like for Travel Associates?
Bright Purple! I can’t reveal too much just yet but as we look ahead, we’re preparing to make a significant investment in brand growth to help propel us forward and elevate the luxury travel market. The next three years are going to be big, so stay tuned.
What do you love most about the travel industry?
I love that we operate like a family. We’ve all been through a lot over the past five years, so there is that sense of camaraderie between suppliers and agencies that’s really nice to see.
We achieve so much more when we work together and support each other.
Read our wrap of NTIA 2024 including all the winners here.
For more information, visit Travel Associates.
